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NEWS > U.S.A. > OHIO TO START CHARGING DEATH ROW INMATES FOR ELECTRICITY USAGE
OHIO TO START CHARGING DEATH ROW INMATES FOR ELECTRICITY USAGE
April 1 2011
Columbus, OH – As archaic as it may seem at times, prison is a mark of a modern and advanced society, a tribute to the cleverness of our species, and a tribute to our advances. Though the use of prisons hasn’t changed dramatically in the last few 
thousand years, they still stand as an expression of an ever evolving social ecosystem, being a fundamental part of a system of jurisprudence which has helped pull us from caves to our current success.
In societies with robust justice system there are no more summary executions, no chaotic conflicts between tribes. Justice, and by extension prisons, have freed us from such notions of punishment and justice, allowing us to live in a free and open society, unburdened with daily threats. Life though inside prison walls hasn’t changed all that much for prisoners. True, food and living conditions are dramatically better than they were even fifty years ago, but the core experience, being forced to live in a box against one’s will, has not changed and likely never will. Now inmates in Ohio, particularly those who have received the harshest sentence that can be delivered, will have to pay an extra debt to society with a new fee that will charge all inmates for electricity, including death row inmates who will have to pay a little extra.
“There's certainly no hardship. I'm sure any change is difficult. However, we're asking our staff to endure substantial change throughout the organization and substantial cost-cutting measures, and we feel it only appropriate that the inmates participate in our cost savings as well,” said Carlo LoParo of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction employees. “These new fees, about one dollar a month, will dramatically reduce the costs associated with feeding electricity to prisoners for personal use. The percentage of income is in line with that people pay outside prison. We will also institute a tiered system for heavier users.”
The bulk of those heavy users are reportedly on death row who, aside from watching more TV as a result of having less yard time, will be charged in advance for ‘extreme electricity use’ related to their punishment.
“The reality is, the hard reality is, that many states including Ohio are in serious dire straits when it comes to the economy and they are going to have to pursue any opportunities to reduce costs just in order to keep the state fluid. Unfortunately prisoners are going to have to be punished for that,” said Scrape TV American analyst Dave Davidson. “No one gets off in this game, no one gets away clean. It’s an unfortunate situation but one that simply has to be dealt with and prisoners don’t get away without contributing. I do however have grave concerns regarding this tiered system in respect to death row prisoners which may not pass muster constitutionally considering how few of them have an option on electricity usage.”
Ohio does not have an electric chair though the new fee may motivate renewed usage.
“The real issue will be, at least from a legal standpoint, is whether or not they bring the chair back simply to charge this new fee. Cutting costs is one thing, but using this fee to either bring back an old friend or, worse, trying to profit off prisoners is something that will likely make trouble for them in court, even if it helps balance the budget,” continued Davidson. “I mean it is reasonable that people who use more of a particular resource should have to pay more but forcing that usage on people by creating artificial need and then inflating the prices and fees is a very questionable business practice and I think is going to present some issues for the state government no matter how it compensates for the budget shortfall.”
Wisconsin legislators have reportedly considered charging extra fees for all injections, including a tiered system for those on death row.
Mike Michaels, American Correspondent
NEWS > U.S.A. > OHIO TO START CHARGING DEATH ROW INMATES FOR ELECTRICITY USAGE
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